what to write on a business card for general contractors

How to Design a Contractor Business Card

 And then, you need to design a contractor business card? Perchance you need a new (or updated!) logo?

Crawly. Nosotros've got you covered.

Whether you need to design a covering business carte, general contractor business organisation menu, or commercial construction business card, the principals are the same and nosotros'll requite y'all some templates and gratis tools you tin use.

Before we begin: a few encouragements…

1. Youdon'tneed to be a design good.
2. Yousdon'tdemand super expensive software.
3. Youdon'tdemand to spend tons of money to make your cards.
4. You lotcando this.

Contractors are notoriously good at figuring things out. If there's ane thing nosotros've seen with these kinds of tech projects, when contractors or structure Pros similar you lot want to learn something… you go all in.

Sentry Construction Courses Online – FREE.

Sentry NOW

No fourth dimension? Enroll now & watch later.

Signup with email, and watch the courses whenever you want.

­

This guide will walk you lot through designing a card, and give you different options of how to approach designing your own cards.

Let's kickoff with designing your own custom contractor business carte du jour.

Pace 1: Create or Update a Logo (Why a Logo Is So Important For Your Contractor Concern Card).

Starting time thing's first: you need a design, a look, and a logo. Whether you're going to apply a popular online service like Vistaprint or having a local business organization print your cards, you'll probably want a custom design.

Of course you tin always utilize pre-designed templates or tools like Vistaprint's card builder, but merely know that information technology might wait that manner to customers or clients. But you already knew that, or else y'all wouldn't be reading this post correct?

Here's the good news: you don't demand to be a graphic design expert to design your ain carte du jour.

Now, having said that – a logoisa great identify to spend money on a graphic designer. Your logo is the symbol of all yous represent: your business, your values, it's the visual representation of your company and make.

A poorly-designed business organisation logo is like a poorly designed website: it can brand your business appear unprofessional or untrustworthy, and get in hard to compete in an age where visuals are incredibly important to Millennials and others. I know that may sound crazy, simply many people will read a degree of "amateurness" into your business if your aesthetics aren't up to par.

And so if cash is tight for you, I'd recommend you lot spend  more on a make clean, modern logo design, and so do the business card design yourself.

Hither's why…

The logo is going to beeverywhere. On your cards, your truck (probably), your website, social media accounts… everywhere. Merely your contractor business card really just needs your contact info. Once you have a solid logo set upward and ready to go, it's relatively like shooting fish in a barrel to blueprint your ain business card. It's simply a thing of laying out the info you want in a visually highly-seasoned and user friendly fashion.

Because having a adept business logo is an important part of your business organization card, we'll begin by taking a expect at few examples of (what I consider) awesome contractor business logos.

Awesome contractor logos for examples and inspiration.

The post-obit logos are included for your inspiration, and to requite y'all an idea of what unproblematic, elegant, effective, make clean, modernistic logos can look like.

That said, y'all need to exercise you. Don't just copy someone else'due south logo – but practice use these as a reference or guideline to acquire what y'all like in a logo.

Example 1 – Text Only (= Name Logos).

I'll acknowledge it, I'k a big fan of "name logos". Lots of company'due south employ them (take a look in the upper left of this website for example!).

Here'southward an example from J.A. Wilwert Carpentry:

Pros

• Perhaps the most "cost-effective" solution because y'all don't demand to accept an image or symbol designed past a designer.
• Easy to get started.
• Tin be free (by using Google Fonts, etc.).

Cons

• Can look amateur with the wrong font / proper name combination.

Tools to Create a Name-Only Logo

• Google Describe
• Google Fonts
• Pixlr Editor

Learn how to design a text-simply logo with our free course.  WATCH NOW

Instance two – Text & Logo Combo.

If you like the idea of a cool text logo, but only want a little something more to it, consider combining your text logo with a small graphic or symbol representing your business.

This tin be anything from crossing hammers (increasingly pop amidst contractors), to a saw blade, to chisels, or anything else that represents your business. The idea here is non unlike the early days of this state, when blacksmiths, carpenters, bakers, etc. had signs hanging out front of their businesses with symbols serving as visual representatives of what their concern or trade was.

Here's a good instance from NS Builders:

Notice how the logo is really a "text-only" logo in the upper left: super clean, unproblematic, professional person. Notwithstanding, they've taken their slogan: "design. build. repeat." and really enhanced it with a simple logo of crossing nails, with a solid vertical line.

In my stance, information technology just adds that really clean, nice visual that sums upwards what they practise and makes it look more than like a logo.

Pros

• Gives more than of a visual than the text-only logo.
• With the right symbol / graphic, information technology can really make your look stand out.
• There are free tools to create the logo if y'all have some eye for design and patience to put it together.

Cons

• Y'all'll probably need to piece of work with a graphic designer if you desire a custom, slick, professional graphic to incorporate with your text-only logo.

Free Tools to Create a Text & Logo Combo

• Google Draw
• Pixlr Editor
• GIMP

Lookout Construction Courses Online – Complimentary.

Sentinel Now

No time? Enroll now & lookout man afterward.

Signup with email, and scout the courses whenever y'all want.

­

Example 3 – Graphic Logo.

The graphic logo is the standard thing that nigh people think of when they retrieve "logo". It's typically a custom graphic that represents your company or brand.

John Malecki (NFL player turned Craftsman) has an excellent case of a graphic logo:

Pros

• Totally unique and engaging: you're not going to run into anyone else using the same font, because your font is a drawing.
• An ability to uniquely brand yourself (in John'southward logo for example, you see the rings of what await similar wood, with a saw blade, and some really cool custom font).

Cons

• You'll nigh likely need to hire a graphic designer
• The designer needs to beskillful. If you go with someone cheap, inexperienced, or who doesn't empathize your company or vision, you're going to end upward with a await you lot're non happy with.

Resource to create custom graphics:

• If you want to learn how to practice graphics like this, we tin't teach y'all. But we do know enough to recommend yous check out Photoshop.
• Use a service like 99Designs – a marketplace of pinnacle designers. You pick the looks you similar near, and receive dozens of submissions of mockups for your new logo. Pick the ane you lot like and pay for it.

Get communication on creating a smashing custom graphic, with this free course.  Lookout man Now

Got your logo? OK. Now it'due south time to pattern your business carte layout.

A contractor business concern menu is not vastly different from any other type of business bill of fare. There's a cadre bit of information yous'll want to brand sure y'all include, but it's fairly flexible.

We're going to presume for the sake of this commodity, that you want to design a custom layout, rather than using a pre-made template on Vistaprint. I mean, if you were going to use that, you probably would have past now, right?

Tools like Vistaprint are swell, because they let y'all to become a small or large number of cards printed up at a dandy price, and y'all tin usually become a discount or promo code for your first guild. In this section we'll walk you through how to tackle a custom blueprint.

*For the following steps we're using Vistaprint's sizing chart. If you use a different service, please discover their exact dimensions.

Business menu template sizing:

Full Drain Size ( = full template size)
three.62″ x ii.12″
92 10 54 mm
1085 x 635 pixels
Document Trim Size ( = the smaller expanse which all your information must fit inside)
three.l″ ten ii.00″
89 10 51 mm
1050 x 600 pixels

Step i – Create a blank template within the editor of your selection.

We're going to use Google Draw, mostly because it's more user-friendly for non-designer types.

Inside Google draw:

1. Click "file"
2. Click "page setup"
3. Select "custom" from the dropdown bill of fare
4. Select "pixels" from the dropdown instead of "inches"
5. Blazon "1085" in the first field (width) and "635" in the second field (height) – **if your business carte du jour sizing is different, merely enter the number of pixels you demand for width and height here**
6. Click "OK"

Now your template size is set, and it's time to movement into the design attribute.

Step ii – Set your groundwork color.

Right click (on Windows, for Mac do as appropriate) and hover over "groundwork" , then select the groundwork colour you want. You can add together a custom groundwork color (like #e7e7e7), or cull a pre-set ane.

I'g a fan of clean design, so I'll set mine to exist white.

Footstep iii – Layout your logo, and text.

Alright, it'southward time to make some decisions and have fun playing with your design.

Hither's the what you'll need to decide on:

• Font(what your wording will expect like) – I recommend keeping your font fairly tame. Don't go with something fancy, difficult to read, etc. Your logo is there to grab someone's heart, the font should assistance people conspicuously read the important info. Now, that doesn't mean you should choose anuglyfont. Just choose something clean that fits with your overall blueprint.

• Text (what content y'all'll include) – What do yous want to say? I'd recommend keeping it simple, and uncluttered. Requite your proper noun, phone number, email, and website. Beyond that, you lot may desire to add together anything else you remember is relevant or promotional.

• Layout (where your name, contact info, logo, etc. volition go) – Practise you want everything centered? Practice yous want your logo in the upper correct, or to be on a side all it'due south own? Google Draw makes information technology like shooting fish in a barrel by giving you carmine lines when you click and drag an object to know if information technology'due south centered, or lined up with other objects.

Step 4 – Pattern a dorsum.

If y'all're doing a second side, you can simply create a new Google Depict document, and repeat these steps and blueprint the back of your bill of fare in lodge to upload it to the printer of your choice.

A very standard instance would exist doing Side A focused only on your brand: a nice groundwork epitome with your logo, then using Side B to communicate your contact info.

Step v -Download your front and back images.

Click "file" > "download as" > and cull ".png". Most services volition as well let y'all upload .jpg or .pdf files, simply mostly I recommend using .png files, as they are higher image quality for printing.

Footstep 6 – Upload your design to your printer of choice.

Subsequently you lot have the front and back designed, only visit your printer of choice and select "standard business cards" as the product. For our example, we're using Vistaprint (click here for a direct link to their standard business cards).

Most carte designers online will let you upload your ain design.

Stride 7 – Proof and order!

That's information technology! Once you take your images uploaded, make sure you proof the image and preview it to run across what your cards will await like. Have your fourth dimension, inquire your friends/family, and get some feedback because at that place's no going back (without re-ordering!).

Once you're happy, merely place the society. Exist sure to search around for some promo codes to potentially go your commencement order at a discount. Oh, and be prepared to be "up-sold" a bunch of stuff y'all don't need 🙂 .

Menu templates:

I've included two templates for the front, and back of your card.

Instructions:

1. Click the side you want to edit.
2. Sign in to Google to access the Google Describe template.
3. Change the wording, font style, background colors / images, and upload your logo.
4. Download and use to print your own concern cards.

We'll walk you through how to design your own card pace by step!  Sentinel At present

Creative ways to create your contractor business carte or logo on the cheap.

Now, to exist clear: we are big believers that for the nearly part, you lot get what you pay for. We believe that (unremarkably) the best work is done past those who charge a fair price for the work. That said, nosotros're likewise aware that many of you reading this post may not accept more a couple hundred dollars to get started. And even with a depression budget we want you to exist able to get a business carte and logo that you dear.

If you're in that situation, here's a few creative ideas to get your logo or concern card more affordably:

Enquire family unit members (or friends of family unit members) that are studying graphic design.

Graphic blueprint is increasingly popular as a field of study. There'due southloadsof students studying it in school, or pursuing photography and blueprint equally a hobby. Stop and think: do you lot have any nephews, nieces, or family friends studying graphic design? If so, inquire them, and they might exist willing to assist you out!

Contact a local university or higher to see if Students need portfolio work.

Often times students studying graphic design volition need to produce a number of projects as assignments throughout their studies. Why non your logo?

Simply search for surrounding colleges and universities (no thing how large or small), visit their websites, and see if they have a graphic design program. If they do, call the school or detect the director of that department'south contact info. Ask if y'all tin can get help from students, explain your situation, and see if they always permit the students work with businesses in the customs. They may do it for free, or they may do it at a reduced rate.

Utilize Fiverr.

Fiverr is a pop tool for getting things fast, and cheap. They do everything from websites, to graphic design, to… well … pretty much everything. Now, yous definitely need to be enlightened that you lot're non going to get anything crazy unique hither. In that location'due south a reason why graphic designers or artists on Fiverr offer to describe up contractor concern cards, construction business cards, or blueprint logos for anywhere from $v – $25: considering they take a template (a pre-made mold, if you will) that they are going to run you through. That said, it can be a really peachy mode to go something done fast and somewhat professionally. Take a wait here to browse through logo designers, or hither to browse through business organisation menu designers.

Castling with a designer.

If y'all discover a designer yous'd like to piece of work with and it costs a fleck more than yous'd like, ask if at that place is any discount they can give if you promise to promote your logo and give them a shoutout as the designer, on mediums like Instagram, your website, and more. Designers may exist willing to give yous a disbelieve if you hold to promote them to anyone who asks, "hey, who did your logo, it'south awesome!"

Nosotros'll walk y'all through how to design your own carte du jour footstep by step!  WATCH NOW

kuhnsiours51.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.construct-ed.com/contractor-business-card/

Share this post